The present invention is directed to a bank of individual seed hoppers having notches between adjoining walls to permit the flow of seed between the individual hoppers and removable baffles to prevent the flow between the individual hoppers.
Agricultural implements, like seeding machines, have a wide transverse working configuration so that the machine covers as much ground as possible in a single pass. Typically, the seeding machine can be folded from its working configuration into a more manageable transport configuration.
Some seeding machines are provided with a frame having a central main frame segment and two wing frame segments. The central main frame segment is provided with a forwardly extending tow bar for coupling the machine to a tractor. The wing frame segments are pivotally coupled to the main frame by fore/aft extending axes so that the wings can flex relative to the main frame to allow the wing frames to more closely follow the contour of the ground. Individual planting units are mounted to the frame segments by parallelogram linkages so that the planting units can move a limited amount up and down relative to the respective frame segment. One method of folding the frame of the seeding machine described above is to forwardly fold the wings along the tow bar.
Typically grain drills and air seeders are used to plant closely spaced crops. These seeding machines are provided with bulk hoppers, which transmits the seed directly to seed meters for metering the flow of seed to the planting furrow. Typical row crop planters have been used to plant crops having wider row spacings. Row crop planters have a series of planting units. Each planting unit is provided with an individual seed hopper, a seed meter and a furrow opener. It is also known to direct seed from a bulk hopper towed behind the seeding machine to the individual hoppers of the planting units by a pneumatic supply system.
To plant on more closely spaced rows it is known to interleave the planting units. All of the planting units can be used to plant a narrow row crop or selective planting units can be raised to planter a wider row crop.
It is also known to pivot planting units on their noses from a horizontal planting position to a more vertical non-planting position.
A seeding machine comprises a main frame segment and two wing frame segments. In its working configuration the seeding machine extends transversely. In its transport configuration the wing frame segments are folded forwardly. All three frame segments are provided with interleaved planting units forming a front rank of planting units and a rear rank of planting units. The rear ranks of planting units are mounted to the wing frame segments by pivot arms that extend downwardly and rearwardly from the wing frame segments. The pivot arms are pivotally mounted to the wing frame segments by a rockshaft. The rockshaft is provided with an actuator bell crank that is coupled to a linear actuator for rotating the rockshaft relative to the wing frame segments. The pivot arms have a working position, wherein the planting units are in their working position, and a transport position, wherein the planting units have been pivoted on their noses into their substantially vertical transport position. By rotated the planting units on the wing frame segments on their noses, the transport width of the seeding machine is reduced, when the wing frame segments are forwardly folded.
The frame segments are provided with banks of individual seed hoppers. Each of the planting units is provided with an auxiliary seed hopper. The individual seed hoppers feed seed to the auxiliary seed hoppers through flexible tubes. One tube extends between one auxiliary seed hopper and one individual seed hopper. The individual seed hoppers of each bank are provided with adjoining walls. The adjoining walls have notches so that the individual hoppers communicate with one another. In this way, the bank of seed hoppers can be filled in a bulk fill method similar to grain drills.
The rear rank of planting units can be disabled by placing them in a non-working position. As such, the seeding machine can plant seed in two different row width conditions. When the rear rank of planting units are disabled, the banks of seed hoppers are provided with removable baffles. Each removable baffle is provided with a leg that cooperates with the notches to prevent seed in an active individual hopper from entering an inactive individual hopper. When the removable baffles are inserted into the bank of individual seed hoppers, the individual seed hoppers are filled in the same manner as row crop planters, that is one at a time.